1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wrap dispensing apparatus and more particularly pertains to mobile wrapping apparatus for wrapping material about a load or items to be banded.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of portable film wrapping systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, film wrapping systems heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of wrapping film about a load carried on a pallet are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
In the stretch wrapping of loads carried on pallets, a sheet of material is spirally wrapped about the load on the pallet. By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,322, which has a portable plastic film wrapping system that includes a pushcart with a vertical mast mounted on the push cart. The film roll carriage is moved vertically along the mast and the film roll carriage is operatively connected to a counter weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,322, is a portable plastic film wrapping system that includes a push-cart having a vertical mast member mounted thereon. A film roll carriage is vertically movable along the mast member, and the film roll carriage is operatively connected to a counterweight which is movably disposed within the mast member. The mast member is provided with a plurality of apertures, and a redundant dual stop pin assembly is engageable within particular ones of the mast member apertures so as to incrementally lockingly retain the film roll carriage at a particular elevations along the mast member such that safe controlled movement of the film roll carriage along the mast member is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,734, is a portable plastic film wrapping system that comprises a push-cart having a vertical mast member mounted thereon. A film roll carriage is vertically movable along the mast member, and the film roll carriage is operatively connected to a counterweight which is movably disposed within the mast member. The mast member is provided with a plurality of apertures, and a releasable stop pin is engageable within a particular one of the mast member apertures so as to lockingly retain the film roll carriage at a particular elevation when concentric reinforcing wrapping of an article is desired, and is disengageable from the apertures so as to permit the film roll carriage to continuously elevate for spiral wrapping of the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,657, is a portable film wrapping system that comprises a push-cart having a vertical mast member and a film roll carriage movably mounted upon the vertical mast member. A lift cable connects the film roll carriage to a lift cable drum which is rotatably connected to a lift sprocket through a clutch mechanism, wherein the lift sprocket is rotatably connected to a drive wheel engaged with a floor surface over which the portable system is movable. When the clutch mechanism operatively connects the lift cable drum to the lift sprocket, the lift cable drum is rotated so as to wind the lift cable thereon and thereby continuously elevate the film roll carriage whereby spiral wrapping is achieved. When the clutch mechanism disconnects the lift cable drum from the lift sprocket, the lift cable is no longer wound upon the lift cable drum whereby the film roll carriage is maintained at a particular elevation so as to achieve concentric reinforcing wrapping.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,614, is an apparatus for wrapping a load carried on a floor-mounted pallet. The apparatus includes a carriage having a wheeled base for rolling movement about the pallet-carried load. The carriage is provded with an upright upstanding from the base and vertically movably supporting a carrier assembly for a roll of wrapping sheet material. A handle structure is provided on the carriage for manipulation of the carriage in effecting the rolling movement about the pallet-carried load and mechanism is provided adjacent the handle for effecting vertical movement of the carrier assembly to permit spiral wrapping of the sheet material about the pallet-carried load. The carrier assembly is arranged to extend downwardly to a lowermost position, permitting wrapping of the pallet substantially at floor level and, in an uppermost position, for wrapping the uppermost portion of the load. The apparatus of the '614 patent further includes improved structure for releasably retaining the sheet material roll on a spindle on the carrier assembly.
In accordance with a second one of such manual methods of applying a stretch film to such palletized loads or products, as illustrated, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,841 which issued to Shirrell on Oct. 17, 1995, and in lieu of directly holding or grasping the film roll, the operator holds or grasps a film roll dispensing or holding device which has a built-in tensioning mechanism. In accordance with either one of the afore-noted modes, methods, or manners in which stretch film is applied manually to the palletized products or loads, several operational drawbacks or disadvantages common to both methods or modes were apparent. Firstly, for example, the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, must be supported by the operator personnel, and yet the film roll and the film roll dispensing or holding device are quite heavy and cumbersome. In addition, in order to fully wrap a palletized load, the operator must bend down while holding the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, in order to wrap the film around the lower extremity portions of the palletized loads or products. Such requirements upon the operator personnel have been noted to cause acute discomfort, fatigue, and stress-related injuries. In addition, the operators experience fatigue and discomfort even when the operators are wrapping the upper regions of the palletized loads or products due to the continuous need for supporting the entire weight of the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved wrap dispensing apparatus which can be used for warping palletized loads or products that is easier to maneuver and reduces operator fatigue and discomfort. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.